Thesis and Dissertation Procedures

The purpose of the thesis or dissertation is to show evidence of the graduate student's development as a consumer of research and knowledge. The process of writing a thesis or dissertation starts very early -at the point of writing a proposal. Several graduate programs have formatting guidelines and thesis timelines of their own. It is important that students are mindful of these program-specific policies. Where those guidelines are more exacting than the ones listed here, and where a program’s deadlines are earlier than the ones listed here, those program-specific guidelines/timelines take precedence.

Important Deadlines

Programs have the discretion to establish more rigorous deadlines than those below. Please check with your program to ensure you meet any program specific deadlines.

The deadlines posted below are the latest possible dates to submit the required material to the Graduate School. Failure to meet the Graduate School deadlines will result in the denial of your graduation application.

Spring 2019

Feb 15

Committee Membership form due to the Graduate School

March 1

Deadline to apply for graduation (application is submitted through myWings)

April 19

Deadline to defend thesis/dissertation

May 3

Deadline to upload theses/dissertations to Digital Commons, andsubmit the Certificate of Approval and Availability Agreement to the Graduate School

Summer 2019

May 31

Committee Membership form due to the Graduate School

June 14

Deadline to apply for graduation (application is submitted through myWings)

July 26

Deadline to defend thesis/dissertation

August 9

Deadline to upload theses/dissertations to Digital Commons, andsubmit the Certificate of Approval and Availability Agreement to the Graduate School